The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the opening of the "LAUNCH: Beyond Waste" challenge. A partnership with NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and NIKE, Inc., LAUNCH's mission is to showcase and support innovations with the potential to drastically improve human and environmental sustainability. This challenge aims to transform waste management, waste prevention, and waste reuse in the developing and developed worlds.

On March 28, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) issued a new Scientific Integrity Policy to safeguard the quality and integrity of the Agency's scientific and scholarly activities. Spurred by a 2009 directive from President Obama and subsequent guidance from the White House, this policy articulates the principles regarding how scientific and scholarly activities are supported and carried out, and how research findings are used and disseminated.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 22 is World Water Day an international day of observance that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

The focus of World Water Day this year will be Transboundary Waters: Sharing Water, Sharing Opportunities.

The Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 makes access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, within the broad context of sound water resources management, a clear objective for U.S. foreign assistance.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MARCH 18, 2009 - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Rotary International (RI) are teaming-up to save lives by bringing clean drinking water and basic sanitation to communities in the developing world. The partnership was announced today at the World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, in celebration of the March 22nd observance of World Water Day.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) agreed to strengthen their cooperation on humanitarian issues and disaster response. In a ceremony at the White House, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and OIC Secretary-General Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to mark the significant partnership milestone.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently deployed the first-ever cadre of Field Investment Officers to regional USAID Missions in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand, Egypt, Peru and Ukraine. This overseas presence will allow USAID to inject capital markets expertise into its field offices, ensuring the local private sector becomes a critical component of USAID programming.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - - On March 12, the U.S. Agency for International Development and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) announced a partnership to promote investment and financing in the water sector across sub-Saharan Africa. The partnership seeks to galvanize private investment and financing and strengthen institutional capacity in Africa to develop and sustain water programs. USAID and JICA are exploring short-term opportunities for joint collaboration in African countries that may lead to long-term investment.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Intel Corporation announced an expansion of their ongoing collaboration to utilize technology to further economic and social development around the world. The two organizations have launched 20 public-private partnerships over the last five years in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, March 13, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Intel Corporation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding to expand their ongoing collaboration to utilize technology to further economic and social development around the world.

BOMA, SOUTH SUDAN - The United States Government inaugurated the Boma National Park Headquarters in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, drawing attention to the important role that the establishment of protected area management and local governance infrastructure can play in contributing to security, stability, eco-tourism and economic growth, especially in the more isolated regions of South Sudan. This critical infrastructure was built with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

USAID Administrator Shah Discusses the Transforming Role of Development in Shaping and Supporting America’s Foreign Policy Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), today released the Agency’s second annual letter, focusing on the elevated role of development in America’s foreign policy efforts.

Policy Speech Emphasizes Development Reform, Direct Partnerships with Local Governments, and Investments for the American People

This afternoon, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), delivered a major speech entitled "Transforming Foreign Aid." In addition to addressing the current state of development, Shah proposed significant efforts to elevate aid effectiveness. The address was given at the Council on Foreign Relations annual John B. Hurford Memorial Lecture.

USAID's Youth Initiative, which forms part of the USAID-Tijara Provincial Economic Growth Program will mark its two-year anniversary in April 2012. Since the start of the program, loans valued at $3,625,100 have enabled 1,045 young entrepreneurs to build businesses that today employ 2,220 Iraqis. The pace of job creation is increasing, with more than 1,000 new jobs created during the last quarter of 2011 thanks to microfinance loans totaling $1.63 million.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, during a White House event, Dr. Rajiv Shah, Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched the Agency's new Policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Continuing the momentum of the recently signed Partnership for Growth joint country action plan, the governments of the United States and El Salvador today finalized a framework for monitoring and evaluating the five-year effort.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday, March 1st, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Rajiv Shah and Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg will be joined by Gayle Smith, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Development to unveil the Agency's new Gender Policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment.

Mobile World Congress, Barcelona - The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partnered with GSMA and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) to conduct research into the opportunities that mobiles provide to underserved women in emerging markets. Primary research was undertaken by TNS and GSMA released the findings last month. The research, entitled 'Portraits: A Glimpse into the Lives of Women at the Base of the Pyramid', is the first to survey the wants, needs, aspirations and mobile uses of women living at the base of the pyramid (BoP). These women are living on less than two U.S. dollars a day. The research brings the voices of BoP women to life through eight fictional, composite portraits of respondents, shown against a backdrop of the macro-level data from which the portraits were constructed.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On Thursday, March 1, Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance, will be speaking at the Foreign Press Center to discuss USAID's commitment to assist communities in the Sahel region.